ExciteBike: World RallyPublisher: NintendoPlayers: 1-4ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)Price: 1,000 Wii Points™File Size: 201 BlocksDescription: Prepare to face daredevil jumps, crazy obstacles and other racers in the newest installment in the venerable Excitebike franchise, available exclusively on the WiiWare service. Choose from multiple camera angles as you tilt your way to smooth landings using motion-sensitive controls. Compete in races around the world in four championship circuits. Use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to invite friends to a race. Or if you're feeling brave, take on anyone else looking for a match. Feel like tackling a challenge of your own design? Use the intuitive Track Editor to choose from the available obstacles and put together your dream course, then share courses with friends to see whose creation skills reign supreme.

As much as I still hold the classic near and dear to my heart I don't think it quite holds up to today's standards, but this 3D revisit is easily one of the better WiiWare offerings available.

With more tracks, more bonus features and more strategic racing challenges, Excitebike: World Rally is a racing game that will keep you challenged with its ever-increasing difficulty and entertained with its track editor and online play.

The motion controls are optional with the exception of shaking the wiimote to recover after a crash. 16 tracks total, with a track editor and 4 player online multiplayer. The alternate camera angle is turned on/off by hitting the A button.

I went back and finished up the 3rd cup. The 2nd race in that cup gave me a bit of trouble. The last 2 races however, I got through on my first try each. So...yeah, I want to play online against some people that I know. I have Kaoz, but that's about it.

It's a solid game. I'm honestly surprised they didn't try and make it a retail title and have twice as many tracks.

I've only gotten to the gold cup so far and have played some online matches and done pretty well. I do better with and prefer the "normal" (motion) controls. Works well for me - more intuitive.

When I first started playing, I found myself trying to change lanes by tilting the controller, despite knowing that the controls didn't work like that! It would be interesting if that option were presented.

I have used nothing but normal control and it seems good. I have nothing against the O.G. Excitebike controls, but having my thumb control one thing while my arms control another is helpful.

So far, every single other person online (about 8 people came and went) has been using classic controls. Odd.

When I first started playing, I found myself trying to change lanes by tilting the controller, despite knowing that the controls didn't work like that! It would be interesting if that option were presented.

Well, you see...

Spoiler

If you get an S-Rank on every track in single player, you will unlock the "Pro" control scheme, an almost full motion-control scheme. It gives you the option to shift the camera to a behind-the-back viewpoint and allows you to change lanes by tilting the controller left/right. Here's a video of it:

Ok, I just finished S-ranking everything. I had S-rank in everything except platinum China on the first or second try. Freaking China took me an hour by itself.

Halfway through the silver cup, I realized that you could cool off by causing other bikers to crash. However, I quickly learned to stay the hell away from any and all CPU bikers. Nine times out of ten, if I crashed, it was due to bouncing off a biker's head, which threw off my ramp timings. Sometimes they would just veer into my lane for no good reason. I even had a few times where they went into the mud or grass and randomly crashed into me. Half of the game seems to be avoiding these clowns.

I tried the pro controller mode and it would definitely take some getting used to. Now I am curious what all the extra question marks are in the options, since it claims I have "unlocked everything".

I hate to admit it, but I am done with this game. This is probably the fastest I have played out a Nintendo published game since Trace Memory. I got three hours of play in single player (one hour of that spent on Platinum China), and three hours in multiplayer (I am approaching 100 points).

The multiplayer gameplay is actually worse than single player, due to lag. Sometimes I get hit by bikers that aren't close to me, and sometimes other bikers will pass right through me when they should ram me. Most of the time the collisions are accurate, but it is random enough to ruin aggressive tactics. The gameplay is basically single player. There is no interaction. You do a two minute race, get a few points, unlock a new color, repeat.

It's a shame Nintendo didn't include a mode with no CPU bikers. Then multiplayer wouldn't be so random. I'm surprised there isn't a "time trial" mode with no CPU bikers. It's pointless to try for a fast time for two reasons: 1) CPU bikers are too random 2) There is no way to share your time with anyone, even other users of your Wii. Why the hell isn't there a locally shared scoreboard?

The gameplay was fun as hell during my three hours. I was planning on gifting this game to at least two people. It's a shame.

I had bought this a while back and played it a bit and then set it aside, but recently started playing again. It's a really fun game. I would, aside from wanting to play online with some CAGs, like to work on the friends-only online design unlocks. Doubt I'll ever get to 500 points, but maybe we can get the first two unlocks. Anyone else interested in setting up a time for a CAG Excitebike fest?

Regarding online play, it's been flawless for us, and we are on a lowly low-end DSL connection. No lag whatsoever. Also the game would be a bore without the CPU players in there as well. Someone would take the lead and that would be it, pretty much. Part of the point of the game is not running into traffic, and using the CPU bikes to cool your engine so you can boost you way to the finish line.

By providing links to other sites, CheapAssGamer.com does not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products available at these sites, nor does a link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked site to CheapAssGamer.com. CheapAssGamer.com is owned and operated by CAG Productions, LLC.